Lindy Chamberlain

1948 Whakatane New Zealand

“A dingo took my baby!”

I was born fourth of March 1948 in Whakatane, New Zealand. Mum was from New
Zealand; Dad was from the pioneering Murchison family in Victoria. Dad’s
nickname was “Mountain”. His name was Cliff. We’d say,
“I’m Cliff, drop over some time.” I’ve travelled widely
throughout the Outback. Growing up, I lived in every state except Western
Australia. We averaged a shift every 12 months. I can remember when I visited
Ayers Rock the first time: It was after a 10 year drought. We were pulling a
trailer with a Nissan. Everyone else was complaining ‘cause of sore bums
on seats but to us it was just so dusty. We did a tyre and then did another on a
road to Mt. Connor. Then, there were 2 tracks. We were told to get to Angas
Downs and ask which way. “Yeah, no problems,” said the locals.
“Same distance, just take your pick.” So off we headed.

We were okay the first 50 miles, then it got more and more deserted ... hardly
any vegetation. Dad and the collie slept on a mattress in the trailer. I had the
front seat; Mum had the back. I opened the window and poked my feet out. I woke
up and there were dozens of camel pats outside the window and they’d
slobbered on my feet and on the windows. I’d have died if I’d woken
up with a camel lickin’ my feet. The road stopped in a series of
sandhills. We had a slow-leaking puncture and we’d already used our spare.
Dad said, “I reckon the road’s over there,” and made a run up
a sandhill. This was in an ordinary car, mind you, not a four wheel drive. We
got up and it was a hundred foot sandhill and we rolled back down onto the road.
Nobody could have been on it for years.

We caught 2 lizards, Biggles and Archie, and took them with us for ages. When we
got to the other end of the road it had a sign warning, “Do not travel
this road. 80 miles of shifting sand. No water or habitation.” That was in
1964. We sat on top of Ayers Rock and counted the clumps of bush. One day it was
Sabbath and we didn’t want to drive, so we threw doonas over bushes and
made bean bags and lay around reading all afternoon. We signed the first or
second book that was ever on top of the rock. It went back years. I think they
put a new one in every 2 days in the height of the tourist season now.

One camping trip we were sitting in the bed of the Burdekin River in northern
Queensland. It started raining nearby and within 5 minutes our camp was 18
inches deep in running water. You learn not to do these things. At another
place, Stathgorden Station, Australia’s second biggest spread in Cape
York, we went croc catching and caught this croc, 3 foot 6 inches, and I held it
while Michael sat in the boat with his legs crossed all the way back. We tied it
up overnight, photographed it then let it go. If they’re hungry, the crocs
will go up the river bank and inland a quarter of a mile looking for food and
they run about 30 miles per hour. One time this wild boar came for us. A mate
told us to climb a tree. I thought he was joking and here was me standing there
with a fishing rod. I was gonna jam it up its nose.

When we went to the Rock, we’d been camping for years. I can make a fire
without matches and find water in arid
country and live off the native plants if I have to. When you have those skills
it’s all right going Outback. You still hear of people going off on the
Birdsville Track without spare petrol and tyres and water simply ‘cause
they don’t know. They’re from towns and used to going to a store for
things when in a pinch. There’s nothing wrong with four wheel driving or
camping if you use your common sense. But accidents will happen and you’ve
got to be prepared.

I’d like to see first aid kits and fire extinguishers compulsory in
vehicles, and first aid skills courses compulsory too. We can save a lot of
lives if we have a basis to fall back on instead of panic. A lot of it is just
common sense but it has to be explained.

Azaria means “Blessed of God” in Hebrew. Do you know the authorities
still won’t let me put up a marker in the area of Ayers Rock or even add
her name to the list on an existing plaque. Eventually they will.

Resist life’s downturns with God and laughter beside you and life will
always have a rosy lining.

On the night of 17th August 1980, Lindy's 9 week old baby Azaria disappeared
from the tent in which her family was camping at Ayers Rock in Central
Australia. Lindy claimed to have seen a dingo leaving the tent with a bundle in
its mouth which she believed to be her baby. A week later bloodstained baby
clothes were found nearby, but no body. The original inquest in December at
which the families present at Ayers Rock gave evidence, concluded that a dingo
had taken and probably killed Azaria, but 2 years later Lindy and her husband
were charged with the murder of Azaria. Lindy was found guilty and was sentenced
to life imprisonment. She gave birth to a second daughter ~ Kahlia, in Darwin
Gaol. In February 1986 a baby’s matinee jacket was found at Avers Rock,
substantiating part of the Chamberlain's story, and Lindy was released, the
balance of her sentence remitted. Lindy and Michael have received financial
compensation but are still seeking legal redress from the Northern Territory
Government in this case that divided Australia, a ‘murder’ case
which admitted no body, no weapon, no eyewitnesses and no motive. The
Prosecution's case hinged on forensic evidence which was later discredited. It
is a fact that the Press for years blasted Lindy and Michael Chamberlain with an
amount of sensational publicity unprecedented in Australia.

I had met Lindy a couple of times when she came shopping to Northgate, Hornsby.
I had a caricature shop there under the escalators for 14 years. She would watch
me sketching. I have always been impressed by her self esteem and her sense of
humour ~ very different from how she is portrayed by the media. She is a warm,
jovial person who really likes herself and enjoys a joke. Lindy recommended her
book, “Through My Eyes” and, on going over to the bookshop for it,
she found it was in the fiction section. She was understandably upset and the
manageress moved her books to the Australiana section. Australia has eventually
found her innocent. Wouldn’t it be about time to acknowledge it by
allowing a headstone or a memorial to Azaria?